OV Bootis: Forty Nights of World-Wide Photometry (Abstract)

Volume 45 number 2 (2017)

Joseph Patterson, Enrique de Miguel, Douglas Barret, Stephen Brincat, James Boardman Jr.,

Denis Buczynski, Tut Campbell, David Cejudo, Lew Cook, Michael J. Cook,

Donald Collins, Walt Cooney, Franky Dubois, Shawn Dvorak, Jules P. Halpern,

Anthony J. Kroes, Damien Lemay, Domenico Licchelli, Dylan Mankel, Matt Marshall,

Rudolf Novak, Arto Oksanen, George Roberts, Jim Seargeant, Huei Sears,

Austin Silcox, Douglas Slauson, Geoff Stone, J. R. Thorstensen, Joe Ulowetz,

Tonny Vanmunster, John Wallgren, Matt Wood

Center for Backyard Astrophysics, 25 Claremont Avenue, Apt. 7C, New York, NY 10027; jop@astro.columbia.edu

Abstract

(Abstract only) Among the ~1000 known cataclysmic variables, only one appears to belong to the “Galactic halo”—the Population II stars. We report round-the-world photometry of this star (OV Boo) during March–April 2017, when it staged its first certified dwarf-nova outburst. The star is remarkable for its short binary period (66 minutes), high proper motion, metal-poor composition, substellar secondary, sharp white-dwarf eclipses, and nonradial pulsations. Something for everybody—and it even had the good manners to erupt in northern springtime, when it transits near local midnight. Move over, SS Cyg and WZ Sge; there’s a new celebrity in town!